Russian propulsion engineering firm Energomash is open to contracts to build partially reusable launch vehicles, the company's chief executive Igor Arbuzov said Friday.

"If a real customer turns up who will need a [carrier] rocket with a reusable stage - we will make one," Arbuzov told RIA Novosti. He added there had been no contracts for rocket stages that can safely return to the Earth after the launch, "although the topic of reusable stages is frequently discussed among chiefs of design bureaus."

According to Arbuzov, the technology will help preserve costly booster engines that are used in first stages to propel the entire carrier rocket upwards.

Russian Carrier Rocket for Sea Launches Will Replace Ukraine's Zenit
A new carrier rocket will be developed in Russia to replace Ukraine's Zenit-SL system for launches from the Sea Launch (Morskoi Start) floating space pad, the chief of the S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia said Friday.

"There is undoubtedly an idea to create a new launch vehicle for the Sea Launch project, and it would be difficult for the new investor to work on this," General Director Vladimir Solntsev told reporters.

Solntsev forecast earlier in the day the planned sale of the project by early 2017, with Russian investors among the leading candidates. He expressed hope that Energia would stay involved with Sea Launch after its sale.

Financial difficulties forced Kiev to freeze the production of Zenit-3SL launch systems.

Source: Sputnik News